The Robbery
by elbcw
Summary: The Musketeers come across a robbery in progress. They chase off the thieves but not without consequences.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: This has been a work in progress for over two years, I've poked at it several times but could not find an ending. Finally, I got there. I hope you enjoy it. **

**They are all in it, the whump is for Aramis and Porthos. I'll post one or two chapters a day as they are quite short.**

Chapter One

They were all keen to get back to Paris. Back to the garrison. Back to their normal duties. The dull diplomatic duties they had just finished were, d'Artagnan had to admit, a bit beyond his understanding. They had escorted the diplomat to the border with Germany and seen him safely to his destination. Now they were nearly home.

It was warm, if they were not on duty d'Artagnan doubted they would still have their doublets on. He knew there was a river with a shallow open area on their route back to Paris. He wondered if he suggested they stop there if the others would agree?

He glanced across at Athos who, as usual, was unreadable, he seemed to be thinking deeply. Although d'Artagnan knew the Musketeer would be fully alert to all that was going on around him. Aramis and Porthos were behind them teasing each other. D'Artagnan had caught odd snatches of the conversation between the two but had quickly decided he did not want to be drawn into their discussion about which of the other men in the garrison were better at different disciplines. The discussion involved a lot of giggling and hushed words between the two.

The road they were on was bordered by trees on either side. The woodland was thick, darkness enveloped the area within a few yards. Fortunately, the road was wide giving them light and space. They could easily ride four abreast on the road if they chose to.

The sweeping bend in the road meant they could not see further than a couple of hundred yards at that moment. D'Artagnan noticed a change in Athos who, if anything, seemed even more alert.

As if some unseen message had been passed between Athos and the two behind him, a hush descended on them all.

A gunshot followed by a cry of pain had all four reacting. Their horses pushed into a gallop they surged forward.

D'Artagnan took in the scene before them. Five men were on the road, a small hand cart loaded with goods the object of the men's attention. Three horses stood a few yards further on. One of the men was lying on the road, his hands pressed against a gunshot wound to his stomach. The man's blood pumping between his fingers and pooling beneath him. The four men, one, his gun still smoking, looked up in shock at the approaching soldiers.

Two of the men ran, jumping on their horses. The third horse, startled by the sudden activity trotted away, following its equine brothers.

Athos glanced towards d'Artagnan who nodded, digging his spurs in at the same time, urging his horse on, after the escaping robbers.

MMMM

Aramis shouted at the robbers and pushed his horse faster, closing the gap between them in a few seconds. Porthos followed. Athos and d'Artagnan peeled away slightly, ready to skirt around the two remaining men and the victim. No order was needed. Athos and d'Artagnan were going to try to apprehend the two escaping men, while Aramis and Porthos were to deal with the abandoned pair of robbers and the no doubt dying man.

As the two Musketeers slowed their approach, the robbers turned their attention from the escaping men to the new threat. Neither Porthos nor Aramis wanted to shoot the men if they could help it, taking them alive was the preferable option.

Athos and d'Artagnan disappeared from sight further around the curve of the road.

Porthos swung his leg over the horse's head and dismounted drawing his sword as he did so. He closed the gap between him and the robbers, he was confronted by the shorter robber who had also drawn his sword.

Porthos managed a quick glance across and saw that Aramis was taking on the robber with the gun. The man had hesitated long enough for Aramis to knock the gun out of the man's hand, forcing him to draw his own sword.

Porthos' foe was not as tall as him and was quite wiry, but he was light on his feet. He managed to duck and twist away from Porthos' lunges and thrusts. Their fight drawing them closer to the cart, a quick movement from the robber forced Porthos to take a defensive step back. He knocked into one of the handles of the cart. Taking a step to the left he managed to find some space. The robber took advantage of Porthos' very brief distraction and sliced into his left arm, followed by another quick movement forward forcing Porthos back a couple of steps.

The injury to his arm stung, he had no idea how serious it was. It was not bad enough to affect his fighting, but he knew it would need seeing to.

The attacker was good with a sword, Porthos knew his limits, this man would rival Athos in swordsmanship. He got the impression that he would have to remain on the defensive until Aramis had despatched the other robber and could join him. He hoped that Aramis would be able to better the other man.

The wiry man had managed to get Porthos to take a small step to the right, where he found himself again knocking into the cart. Only this time as he adjusted his position the robber grabbed the handle closest to him and tip the cart over toward Porthos.

As the cart tipped Porthos tried to move out of the way but had been expertly manoeuvred into a position too close. He stumbled, falling with the cart and found himself pinned underneath, his sword falling from his hand as he did so. He knew he was not hurt, bruised no doubt, but nothing was broken. He was, however, trapped. He tried to reach his gun, which had become pinned with him, he knew he would not get to it before the robber was on him.

The robber had other ideas, satisfied that Porthos was not going anywhere for a few minutes, he turned his attention to Aramis and the other robber, who were fighting a few feet away.

MMMM

The two men who had mounted up and left their fellow thieves were clearly keen to get away. They had pushed the horses into a gallop, but the beasts were not pleased with their treatment. The horse without a rider had slowed and was cantering as Athos passed it. One of the thieves had not managed to get his left foot in the stirrup and was struggling to keep his balance. Athos knew the chase would not be a long one.

Sure enough, the unbalanced robber was forced to stop, his horse refusing to go any further. Athos slowed his own horse, pulling his gun as he did so. The robber was spending too much time trying to get his foot into his stirrup and had not noticed Athos' approach.

Thinking he was about to make the easiest catch in his career Athos was about to speak when the robber's horse unexpectedly reared up. The robber was thrown unceremoniously from the beast. Athos was impressed when the man managed to twist mid-fall and land on his feet, before taking a couple of stumbled steps to fall to his hands and knees.

The rearing horse had upset Athos' own which stepped to the side, away from the agitated beast. He dismounted, finally able to aim his gun as he did so.

A clash of swords to his right caught his attention. D'Artagnan and the other robber had dismounted and were engaged in what looked like a fierce battle. Athos was confident his friend would have no problems dealing with the angry-looking robber.

He turned back to the first man, who had managed to find his feet.

MMMM

Aramis was off his horse and engaging the gunman quickly, the man had paused staring at the approaching musketeer, fear in his eyes. Aramis had easily knocked the gun aside and initially pushed the man back against the cart, thinking he could subdue the robber quickly.

The robber managed to kick Aramis in the shin causing the Musketeer to take a couple of steps back. The robber took the moment's reprieve to draw his sword. The man was a fierce fighter, he was not very disciplined but was enthusiastic with his lunges. Aramis could parry each sword thrust with ease.

Porthos did not seem to be faring as well with his opponent, he had been forced back towards the cart and the other robber was pressing his advantage.

Aramis knew he had to deal with his opponent quickly, he forced the man back with a couple of sword strokes. The other robber had now tipped the cart over, onto Porthos. Aramis could not tell if Porthos was injured.

Seeing the man who had been fighting Porthos advancing, he parried the first man's thrust and took the chance to bodily shove the new opponent back towards the cart. Aramis was pleased to see the man hit the fallen cart hard and turn himself around to catch his breath. With only one opponent again, Aramis renewed his effort to despatch the man.

Clearly distracted by the other robber coming to join him the untrained man dropped his guard long enough for Aramis to thrust his sword into the man's chest, close enough to his heart to prove instantly fatal.

As Aramis pulled the sword from the man's limp body, he noticed the other robber advancing on him. Aramis raised his sword ready for a second fight. The other man did not raise his sword, instead, he swung a bag at him, releasing its contents of flour as he did so.

Everything went white. The powder enveloping the area. Aramis had the misfortune to take a breath at the exact moment the flour was thrown. He could not help coughing as the substance entered his lungs. He was struggling to see, the dusty powder everywhere. He clutched at his chest involuntarily as he continued to cough, trying to get fresh air into his lungs.

MMMM


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

D'Artagnan knew that Athos would be able to deal with the man he was facing with ease. He concentrated his attention on the other robber. The man had clearly wanted to carry on and abandon his fellow thief. But the horse, probably more loyal than the rider, had stopped when the other robber's horse had reared up.

D'Artagnan's opponent had not bothered to urge the horse on, he had dismounted, drawing his sword at the same time and moving to attack d'Artagnan.

The Musketeer dismounted and faced the man who was a little shorter than him but of similar build. It was quickly apparent that the man was skilled with the sword. D'Artagnan had to fight back hard. The man may have been trained, perhaps even a former soldier but his lack of practice was telling. The man was making mistakes and was leaving himself open to attack. D'Artagnan found him predictable. But he did not let that make him complacent. The predictability could become the opposite at any moment.

The sound of a couple of punches being thrown made d'Artagnan glance to his right. Athos had dealt with his opponent who was now lying unconscious on the ground.

The man he was fighting was distracted by the sight and let his guard down long enough for d'Artagnan to step in with a punch of his own. The man stumbled back, tripping to the ground, twisting as he fell to land on his side.

D'Artagnan took a step forward but stopped when he found himself facing the lethal end of a gun. There was no time for d'Artagnan to react, the man's finger was on the trigger.

The threat from the man was short-lived. The man was shot in the side of the head, his gun arm falling as quickly as the rest of him as he slumped back to the ground and did not move again.

D'Artagnan glanced across to Athos who was lowering his gun.

'Thank you,' d'Artagnan said.

'Anytime,' replied Athos with no hint of emotion, although d'Artagnan detected relief in the older man's eyes.

Athos lowered his gun and looked at d'Artagnan for a few seconds. D'Artagnan knew he had come very close to getting himself shot. They could not predict every eventuality. Neither of them could have guessed that the robber would pull a gun on d'Artagnan as he fell. Athos would not have enjoyed killing the man but when it came to a choice between a robber and his brother, d'Artagnan knew who Athos would always pick.

D'Artagnan looked at the man Athos had knocked out. The robber was young, barely into his twenties, probably younger than d'Artagnan. The bruises on his pale face were spreading and darkening quickly. He wore reasonable clothes, but they did not fit well, d'Artagnan guessed they were stolen, probably from other unfortunate victims on the roads in the area.

'What are we going to do with him?' asked d'Artagnan as he dragged the corpse of the man who had tried to shoot him off the road and joined Athos by the young man.

'We will hand him over to the authorities,' replied Athos, 'robbery is a serious crime.'

Grimly d'Artagnan nodded and bent down to pull the unconscious man's belt from his waist to use as a restraint.

They rounded up the horses and looked them over. The creatures were far better than the robbers should have been able to afford, d'Artagnan guessed they had been stolen as well, which would account for them not behaving for their riders.

He hoped they could be returned to their owners, the robberies were bound to have been reported locally, with luck justice could be brought for several people.

Together they slung the restrained robber over the back of one of the horses. The beasts seemed to respond better to Athos and d'Artagnan who were both treating them with respect. He suspected the horses had been beaten and forced to ride hard.

'We should get back to the others. We do not want to keep them waiting too long,' said Athos as they mounted up.

MMMM

Porthos was desperately trying to wriggle free of the cart. He had managed to move the cart enough to get his legs out. But after letting go of the cart had found his doublet caught underneath, he tugged at the jacket whilst watching Aramis fighting the robbers.

The man who had been fighting him had been pushed back towards the cart. Clearly winded the robber took a moment to catch his breath. He looked as if he were about to re-join the fight when he paused. He reached down and grabbed a bag that was lying with other items piled up on the side of the fallen cart.

The man turned back to the fight just as Aramis was pulling his sword from the body of the other robber. The attacker threw the bag, which Porthos realised contained flour, over Aramis. Had it not been a life or death situation it would have looked quite comical. Aramis was covered in the white powder, it was on his face, his hair, his clothes, everywhere.

But Aramis had been blinded by the powder and appeared to have inhaled some as he was now doubled over coughing. With renewed effort, Porthos managed to pull himself free of the cart.

In the few seconds,' it took him to get free and gain his footing the robber kicked Aramis hard in the chest, sending the blinded man back a few steps and to the floor, his sword clattering away as he fell. The robber was quick to get in another couple of hard kicks to Aramis' torso. Porthos could not tell how badly hurt Aramis was but he was still trying to get up, despite the effort he had to put into taking a breath.

The robber had scooped up the gun that the other man had dropped and was calmly levelling it at Aramis. Porthos yelled and managed to pull his own gun out. He aimed and fired, the shot going wide.

In the same instant, the robber had fired his gun, but the distraction of the other gunshot had been enough for his shot to miss its target, although not completely. The ball grazed Aramis' left arm causing him to yelp in pain between coughs.

Porthos was advancing on the robber, who, realising it was time to retreat, sprinted away.

Satisfied that the robber was no longer a threat, Porthos turned his attention to Aramis who was still on the ground gasping for breath, his face white from the flour.

'No,' Porthos said, as Aramis reached up to try and rub his eyes free of the powder.

Porthos grabbed his friend's hand and prevented him from touching his face. Aramis tried to resist him, not understanding, as Porthos pushed his hands back again.

'You'll make it worse. Wait while I get the water. Stay there,' he said firmly.

Aramis nodded; he was about to say something but coughed instead. He was breathing hard taking gasping breaths in between coughs, his face contorted in pain as each breath put pressure on his ribs where he had been kicked. Porthos felt a bit helpless, he wished there was a way he could help his friend, but all he could do was wait for Aramis' coughing fit to subside. Porthos put his hand on his friend's shoulder to steady him for a few seconds until Aramis waved him off. He quickly collected the water and medical kit from Aramis' horse and returned.

Porthos was pleased to see that Aramis had, for once, listened to his instructions and not tried to rub his eyes. He was, however, coughing again, his breathing ragged as he struggled to get air into his lungs. Porthos knew that the coughing would pass but it was still unnerving to see his friend struggling.

He crouched down and put his hand around Aramis arm. Aramis flinched at the unexpected contact, reminding Porthos that Aramis still had his eyes screwed shut.

'It's me,' said Porthos as he grabbed Aramis hand.

He had been about to rub his eyes again.

'Take a drink and then let me rinse the flour off your face.'

Aramis held out his hand for the waterskin. He took a few sips. Once Aramis had finished drinking Porthos put his fingers under Aramis' chin and lifted his face up before tipping the water over his eyes. Aramis remained where he was whilst Porthos worked, using a cloth to wipe away the worst of the flour from his friend's face.

'That should do, open your eyes.'

Aramis slowly opened his eyes, blinking several times. When he went to rub his eyes again Porthos stopped him for a third time, pointedly looking at Aramis' hands before using the water to clean the flour off them as well.

Porthos could tell the incessant coughing was wearing his friend out. Aramis had been unable to speak to Porthos since the incident began. It was clear he was in pain and Porthos knew there was nothing that could be done to ease his suffering. Knelt by his friend Porthos did the only thing he could and supported him, keeping him sat up as the coughing continued.

MMMM


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

D'Artagnan slowed his horse to a stop as he took in the scene. Two bodies, the robbery victim and one of his attackers, lay on the ground. The hand cart had been tipped onto its side; the contents strewn across the road.

Porthos was sat with a dishevelled Aramis in the middle of the road. Porthos had his arm resting across Aramis' shoulders keeping him sitting upright. Aramis' hair was white, his doublet and breeches were also splattered with streaks of white. D'Artagnan could not work out how their friend had ended up in such a state, or where the white colouring had come from.

Aramis was coughing, his face contorted in pain with each gasped breath he took. As they reached their brothers Athos was quick to dismount and cross to them.

'The other robber, he ran off, he chucked a bag of flour at him before knocking him to the ground and kicking him,' said Porthos by way of explanation. 'I think he inhaled some as well. He can't breathe properly and the coughing ain't helping.'

Athos crouched in front of the injured Musketeer. D'Artagnan dismounted and after a cursory check of their captive joined them.

'Is there anything we can do to ease it at least?' asked Athos, his question directed at Aramis.

Aramis looked up, he shook his head, he was about to speak but ended up coughing instead. D'Artagnan found it quite difficult to watch his friend in such discomfort.

'It will pass,' said Athos with a conciliatory pat of Aramis' leg, 'we just have to wait.'

Aramis managed a nod as he concentrated on taking a drink from the water skin that Porthos offered him.

Athos rose to stand, 'we will camp here, even if it is only for a few hours. Aramis cannot travel like this. Can you secure the prisoner?'

D'Artagnan nodded, turning his attention to their captive man, who was not showing any signs of coming around. He led the horse towards the side of the road and into the trees. The horse did not protest to his gentleness, making d'Artagnan sure the beasts the robbers were using had been mistreated by them.

A few meters into the trees he heard the tell-tale trickle of water. Leading the horse, he searched for what he hoped would be a stream. It did not take him long to find it, a small, shallow stream running parallel to the road. He found a low branch and loosely tied the horse to it, giving him enough room to reach the water and drink his fill.

After another check that the prisoner was still unconscious, d'Artagnan hauled the man from the horses back and dragged him to a tree a few feet from the stream. The robber was soon secured to the narrow trunked tree.

Athos appeared leading the other horses, he nodded his approval of the restraints of their prisoner and walked the horses to the stream. The Musketeer horses were unlikely to wander off, so Athos did not tie them up.

'Porthos told me that the other man ran off, we will need to be vigilant if we stay the night. He may come back and he may not be alone.'

D'Artagnan understood, under normal circumstances, they would not have camped near the scene of the fight. But Aramis was in no state to travel, he only hoped their friend would recover quickly.

MMMM

Aramis watched d'Artagnan leading the horse with the unconscious man towards the woods.

He coughed. Again.

Porthos squeezed his shoulder, Aramis wished he could thank his friend, but each time he tried to speak, he coughed, it was tiring, but there was nothing he could do. Athos was right, the incessant coughing would stop eventually.

He remembered sitting with one of the stable boys who had tried to steal an apple from the garrison mess. The unfortunate lad had knocked a jar of flour over. The resulting mess had made the culprit easy to spot even without the physical effect making it obvious. They decided the lad had suffered enough for his crime when he was still coughing and spluttering thirty minutes later.

'Let's get you somewhere more comfortable,' said Porthos.

He managed to push himself up to stand but could not move for several seconds as another bout of coughing had him wavering. The pain in his chest where he had been kicked made it even worse.

Aramis was an unhappy Musketeer.

Porthos waited patiently, his hand on Aramis' uninjured arm, keeping him steady.

After what felt like a lifetime he managed to straighten up. They slowly walked into the wood. D'Artagnan had found a stream. Their horses and the ones the robbers had been using were drinking their fill.

'Will that need stitches?" d'Artagnan asked.

The Musketeer pointed at Aramis' arm where the robber had not quite missed him.

Aramis instinctively went to speak, regretting the intake of breath instantly. The coughing had him leaning forward slightly.

'Sit down,' said Porthos.

Aramis did not have a choice; he was pushed to his knees by Porthos and eased around to sit with his back against a tree trunk. D'Artagnan knelt in front of him, undoing his weapons belts and doublet. Aramis did not resist the attention; he was quickly losing any energy he had.

D'Artagnan had started a one-sided conversation, telling him what he was doing, asking if there was anything else he should do. Aramis managed a few nods in between the coughs. His friend paused frequently in his ministrations, waiting for the coughs to stop.

Aramis was just looking forward to them stopping altogether.

MMMM

Athos lifted the dead man, trying not to let the man's head drop backwards. A simple wooden cross on a thin piece of leather swung free. Porthos, his arms under the man's legs, guided them back across the road. They lay the man out of sight of the road and their camp.

'We will alert the authorities at the next town,' said Athos.

Porthos nodded, looking back at the upturned cart.

'He can't have had much. Why'd they pick on him?'

Athos had wondered the same thing, the poorly dressed old man did not appear to have many possessions. There was nothing on his body and the handcart contained only a few items. He guessed the bags of flour had been bought at the next village. They would probably never know why the robbers had picked on the old man.

After pulling the handcart back up Athos collected the items that had been strewn across the road. He piled them back into the cart before pushing it to the side of the road near to the owner's body. Porthos had wandered towards his and Aramis' horses. Athos watched him walk unable to work out what was odd about his friend's demeanour. When Porthos visibly wavered Athos moved quickly. He grabbed Porthos who appeared on the point of collapse.

'Sorry...'

'Are you injured?' asked Athos as Porthos pushed himself away.

Athos went to steady his friend again. He saw the rip in Porthos doublet. He realised Porthos had been favouring his right arm.

'I'd forgotten,' said Porthos.

Athos believed his friend. In the heat of battle injuries often went ignored. Now that the dust had settled and there was time to deal with all that had gone on the injury had caught up with Porthos.

Athos sighed, he indicated for Porthos to head towards their camp. He stayed close by.

Aramis and d'Artagnan looked up in concern. Porthos settled himself next to Aramis who managed to smile briefly before coughing again.

They waited patiently for Aramis to stop, his slightly laboured breathing a constant reminder that, as a group they were vulnerable. Even more so now that Porthos' injury had made itself known.

Athos helped Porthos to undo his doublet and ease his injured arm from the sleeve. Bloodstained the fabric. Porthos glanced at d'Artagnan.

'I promise not to hit you when you stitch it.'

D'Artagnan managed a smile before looking towards Aramis, obviously expecting a reaction. Aramis was leaning back against the tree trunk, his eyes closed. The wheezed breaths, shallow.

'Hopefully, he'll be better when he wakes,' said Porthos.

A noise a few yards away had the three conscious men reaching for their weapons.

MMMM


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

D'Artagnan and Athos were on their feet in a second, their guns drawn and levelled at the new threat. The threat was a man, in his thirties, with a startled look, his hands out in submission.

'I'm not one of them,' he said, an obvious shake in his voice. 'I… you… er… you… my father… he… er… his body's over there… I saw it as I came to see if you were alright.'

The scared man nodded in the direction of the old man's body which lay under a blanket, only his feet visible. D'Artagnan lowered his gun, Athos kept his raised for a few more seconds before doing the same. The man remained where he was, the look of fear still on his face.

'I'm sorry we couldn't save your father,' said Porthos who had remained by Aramis.

'Is your friend…?'

Porthos shook his head, 'he was injured when we were dealing with the robbers.'

On cue Aramis started coughing, Porthos moved to steady his friend.

The man lowered his hands and took a couple of steps forward, Athos moved to block his path. The man looked at Athos, the fear returning to his eyes.

D'Artagnan tried to diffuse the tense situation, 'how can we be sure you're not one of the robbers?'

The man looked at him, 'we live a few hundred yards over there. My wife heard gunshots. My… father, he was wearing a cross on a leather strap.'

D'Artagnan glanced at Athos who nodded.

Aramis had stopped coughing but was still breathing hard, the act of taking each breath causing him to wince in pain. The man looked down at him.

'My wife, her mother was a healer, she'll know how to help him. And she can probably deal with your other injuries as well.'

'We have a prisoner,' said Athos with a nod to the unconscious man at the side of their camp.

'You can bring him if he stays bound.'

D'Artagnan turned to Athos who still looked sceptical, 'any help we can get for Aramis will likely mean we can get on our way quicker,' he said. 'I don't know how to ease his breathing and stop the coughing.'

D'Artagnan watched as Athos mulled the choices over for a few seconds before nodding and finally holstering his gun. The young man managed a smile.

'You tried to help my father, it's the least we can do,' he said.

MMMM

The man, who had introduced himself as Claude, was leading them through the wooded area towards his house. He explained that they had a couple of paddocks with goats that they reared for selling on at the nearest farmers market. Porthos was not listening to everything Claude said but he seemed a little evasive about his father, he had hesitated a few seconds before telling them the late old man had been called Bernard. Porthos guessed having lost his parent under such gruesome circumstances had left him shocked and overwhelmed.

Athos was following the man leading the stolen horse with the still unconscious robber slung across the beasts back. D'Artagnan was helping Aramis who was trying to walk on his own but was obviously fatigued from the constant coughing fits he was still experiencing. They had explained what had happened to the Musketeer to Claude who nodded and had told them his wife was sure to have something that would at least ease the symptoms.

Porthos was bringing up the rear of the little group, despite his injury he had drawn his gun and was making frequent checks behind them. There was still the threat of the other robber retuning. They hoped to deal with their injuries quickly and be on their way, the longer they were with Claude and his wife the more danger the couple was in.

The small cottage came into view, it was well back from the road and would not have been noticed by the Musketeers as they passed by. The solid building looked relatively new, the thatch was neat, the stone walls were not weathered.

As they approached a woman appeared at the doorway, she looked surprised. Claude walked up to her and quickly explained what had happened, she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as he told her about his father. She looked at the group of soldiers for a few seconds, her gaze settling on Aramis who was leaning heavily on d'Artagnan as another coughing fit overtook him.

'I can mix a drink with honey, it will ease the symptoms,' she said as she walked towards the ailing man and ushered him into the house.

Porthos followed watching as she took charge of Aramis pushing him to sit in a chair by the fire, she knelt in front of him for a few seconds until his coughing had stopped. She looked back at Porthos taking in the way he was holding his arm across himself.

'And you need that seeing to,' she said with a nod to Porthos.

She indicated the other chair by the fire, Porthos took the hint and sat down watching as she bustled off to gather what she needed to help Aramis.

'I think we will have to do as we are told,' said Porthos quietly to Aramis who managed a smile between the occasional cough.

'Yes, you will,' said the woman with a smile. 'Claude told me that you tried to save Bernard – '

'I don't think there was much that could have been done for him,' said Porthos sadly.

The woman nodded, 'but you dealt with the robbers and that can only be a good thing.'

Porthos detected something slightly odd in the woman's tone despite her smiles and gentle touch. He put it down to the shock, the couple had just been bereaved and were dealing with a group of soldiers, two of whom were injured.

D'Artagnan and Athos appeared leading the other robber who had been gagged, he looked unfocused, Porthos guessed he had not long come around and probably had no idea what was going on. The robber was pushed to sit on the floor, d'Artagnan, his gun roughly aimed at the man stood guard over him.

'Is that one of them?' asked the woman.

'They'll keep him tied up, Sarah,' said Claude who was standing in the doorway looking at the robber, a mixture of fear and anger in his eyes.

Sarah looked at the robber for a few seconds before nodding to herself and going back to mixing the honeyed drink for Aramis. Porthos noticed that Athos was looking at the couple carefully, he guessed his friend had noticed their odd behaviour as well.

'Drink this slowly,' said Sarah as she handed the cup to Aramis.

Aramis looked at the contents of the cup for a few seconds before doing as he was told.

'There are some herbs that should ease the pain as well,' she said. 'I'm sorry but it will probably make you drowsy for a couple of hours.'

Aramis managed a smile and a nod of thanks. Sarah stayed with him until he had finished the draught. He leaned back in the chair blinking a few times, Porthos guessed the drink was already having an effect on him. The rest would do his friend good; he was in no state to mount up.

'Now,' said Sarah turning to Porthos, 'your turn.'

MMMM

_A little later…_

Aramis slowly took a deep breath, he waited for the incessant coughing to start. It did not. Taking a deep breath was still not particularly comfortable for him, his ribs and chest hurt where he had been kicked, but at least it did not also include the painful debilitating coughing any more. He kept his eyes closed, he was not ready to deal with the questions about how he felt, he just wanted another couple of minutes enjoying the lack of coughing and struggling for breath. Whatever Sarah had given him had left him rested and relieved. He wondered if she would give him the recipe.

The others were talking, he did not think anyone had noticed he was awake. When a man spoke that he did not recognise Aramis deliberately kept still.

'Just give it to us and we'll let her go,' the voice was commanding.

'Where is she? What have you done with her?' asked Claude urgently.

'You know you cannot get away with this,' said Athos, his tone calm, almost indifferent.

'We can, your mate there don't look too good and the other one is… a bit tied up,' chuckled the commanding man.

Aramis wondered who was tied up. When d'Artagnan spoke he knew it was Porthos who had fallen foul of the new arrivals, but in what way?

'He's told you they don't have anything of value,' d'Artagnan said.

'The old man didn't have it on him, we've checked the body and the cart. So, it must be here. Do you want to see your wife alive? I mean she might survive the fall… but she might not… can she swim?'

'You let her go,' said Claude with more urgency.

'Search the house,' said the man.

Aramis opened his eyes a crack, he could see three men and the robber they had caught moving around the room. Two of the men had their guns trained on Athos and d'Artagnan who were standing with their backs to him, their hands out showing they were not holding a weapon. He could not see Porthos or Sarah.

'Move back,' said one of the gunmen, gesturing with his gun to d'Artagnan who took a few careful steps back to stand next to Aramis.

One of the other men started to poke about at the few items on the rough mantlepiece above the fire. D'Artagnan was watching the man carefully, Aramis slowly moved his hand, which had been resting on the arm of the chair, he tapped d'Artagnan's leg. The Musketeer did not react other than a slight nod and a glance at Athos.

Aramis knew that the silent communication was all that was needed between the three of them. Athos moved a couple of paces to the side, away from Aramis causing the other men to look at him. Aramis understood, the distraction was for his benefit. He hoped he could make it worthwhile.

MMMM

**Authors note: Thanks for the comments/likes/follows.**

**I'm at a convention over the weekend so the next few chapters will go up at odd times, just to keep you in suspense. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

_Earlier..._

Porthos watched at Aramis fell asleep thinking that he was probably more comfortable in front of the fire in the cosy living area of Claude and Sarah's cottage than sitting out in the open. Whatever had been in the concoction Sarah had given Aramis seemed to already be easing his breathing.

Sarah had pushed Porthos' doublet off his shoulders and pushed his sleeve up to get a better look at the wound on his arm, it had stopped bleeding. She gently cleaned the dried blood away.

'I think,' she said, probably more to herself than to him, 'that we can get away without stitches… It looks more dramatic than it is.'

She looked up at Porthos who nodded with a smile, he was aware of d'Artagnan letting out a relieved sigh from behind him. Sarah looked confused.

'I can be a bit… violent when I get stitches,' said Porthos.

Sarah smirked, 'and you a big tough soldier,' she said with a gentle squeeze of his arm.

He allowed her to finish cleaning and dressing the wound before helping him to slip his doublet back on.

'Just don't strain it and it will be fine,' she said. 'Now, he will probably sleep for a couple of hours,' she nodded towards Aramis, 'I won't see you leaving here without eating.'

'We do not want to impose more than we already have,' said Athos.

Claude stepped forward, Porthos thought he seemed a little on edge.

'It's the least we can do, you dealt with the men that killed father… Killed my father.'

Porthos noticed Sarah look a little worried for a moment when Claude corrected his words. He wondered what it was that the couple were not telling them. He reminded himself that they had just found out Claude's father was dead, but something still seemed strange.

'I need to get some water,' said Sarah as she picked up a couple of buckets from beside the door.

'I'll help you,' said Porthos. 'I can carry a bucket of water with one hand.'

He noticed Athos subtly nod. There was still the other robber who might cause them issues.

'I need to check on the goats,' said Claude before stepping out of the cottage.

Athos nodded to d'Artagnan who followed Claude. The slightly strange behaviour of the couple had piqued all their interests. If they could strike up individual conversations with them, they might find out if it was something they needed to worry about.

Porthos gallantly took one of the empty buckets from Sarah as they walked away from the cottage.

'You really don't need to help,' she said, 'if you strain that injury you probably will need stitches. I saw the relief on your friends face when I said I didn't think you needed them.'

Sarah was smiling at him, she seemed more at ease now that she was away from the cottage, or possibly away from her husband. Porthos was not sure.

'Your cottage,' said Porthos, 'it looks very new.'

Sarah nodded, 'it was only finished a few months ago. We were lucky to have a little money at the right moment to be able to pay the rent. The landlord here is very generous.'

They had walked out of sight of the cottage, Porthos could see the well a few yards ahead of them, it was closely surrounded by low bushes with an area on one side cleared to make access easier.

'This is to be Claude's job over the autumn,' said Sarah, 'this all needs to be cleared.'

She pointed at the undergrowth that was threatening to creep over the low wall that surrounded the well. Unlike the cottage, the stonework around the well was starting to crumble and was very much in need of repair. A rope was tied to a sturdy wooden post, an upturned bucket balanced on the edge of the well ready to be lowered down to collect the water.

Sarah started to lower the bucket after glancing down the well's shaft.

'It's quite low,' she mused, 'we've not had much rain in the last few weeks. We sometimes find it easier to just go to the stream for water.'

A twig snapped behind them, Porthos turned expecting to see either d'Artagnan or Athos, instead, he found the other robber. The man was not alone. Three other men were with him. They were all aiming guns at them. Sarah gasped, Porthos moved to stand in front of her. There was no way for her to escape, the thick tangled undergrowth that nearly surrounded the well-meant that the only way they could move was towards the gunmen.

'Take off your weapons belt,' said one of the men, his voice was gruff and full of authority.

Outnumbered and with no obvious way to escape or fight back, Porthos did as he was told. He slowly undid his belt and dropped it to the ground. The shorter robber that he had fought stepped forward and picked up the belt, he grinned at Porthos.

'How's the arm?' he asked with a tilt of his head.

'Tie them both up,' said the leader of the group.

The robber in front of Porthos grinned again, a wicked glint in his eye. One of the other men handed him a rope. Porthos held out his hands before noticing that Sarah was backing off from the man that was approaching her.

'If you resist us, Madam,' said the leader, 'we'll do more than just tie you up. We might get your husband to watch whilst we do more than just tie you up.'

The colour drained from Sarah's face, but she stopped her redundant retreat and shakily held her hands out in front of her. Porthos realised they were being restrained using the same rope, with the remaining few yards trailing on the ground between them. Sarah was pushed to sit on the edge of the well as a second rope was tied around the rope already wound around her wrists. The ugly man wielding the rope took the opportunity to stroke her arm causing her to flinch and pull away a little. Porthos could not help himself, he stepped towards the man. His chivalrous act was ended by an explosion of pain in his arm as the robber grabbed him firmly. The man pushed Porthos to his knees before shoving him towards the wall of the well.

As he regained his composure Porthos was stunned to watch a heavy rock being tied to the other end of the second rope around Sarah's wrists. The rock was hefted onto the edge of the well by the shorter robber who could only just lift it. Sarah, who had been forced to sit with her legs dangling into the well, was looking at it with terror.

'Now,' said the leader of the robbers. 'We're going to pay your husband a visit. I'll leave George here to keep you both company.'

George was the youngest of the men, Porthos knew that under normal circumstances he would have no problem dealing with the slight young man. The leader crouched in front of Porthos and looked up at the rock on the edge of the wall.

'If you try anything George has my permission to push that rock into the well. You saw how heavy it is. David's a strong lad and he struggled. If it gets pushed in, she's gonna follow it and then you'll follow her…'

The man looked at Porthos for a few seconds before rising and walking away, David and the other man followed. George watched them go.

Porthos looked up at Sarah who had tears streaming down her face, he smiled, trying to offer her some reassurance. He was not sure he succeeded.

MMMM

**Authors note: I should be able to put another chapter up later today.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

_Now..._

When he had been talking to Claude by the goat paddock d'Artagnan had been watching his surroundings carefully, but the sightlines around the small farm were not good. The men had been too close by the time he had seen them. A gun to Claude's head was enough to stop d'Artagnan from fighting back. The knowledge that some harm had come to Porthos and Sarah only helped to keep d'Artagnan from reacting hastily. They were walked back to the cottage where Athos was already keeping a wary eye on another gunman who was leaning casually over the still sleeping Aramis a gun loosely aimed at the oblivious man.

The captured robber had quickly been released and the men had begun to search the small cottage for something. It had become apparent that the men were after something specific but what that was had not been made clear to the two Musketeers that were being kept in their place by loaded guns aimed in their direction.

Aramis tapped his leg, d'Artagnan did his best not to react. He nodded his head hoping Aramis had seen and knew that he was aware the injured man was awake. Athos, who was scanning the room made eye contact with him. D'Artagnan subtly nodded towards Aramis. Athos nodded his understanding. With deliberate steps, Athos moved a few paces away from d'Artagnan and Aramis.

'Stay there,' said the man in charge, an older man with short grey hair.

Athos made a point of looking at a small wooden crate that was against the wall, under a table. D'Artagnan knew the searching men would fall for the ploy. They all looked at the crate, the man closest to it took a couple of steps forward.

At the same time, Aramis moved from the chair, grabbing the man who was standing by the fire. The man was too surprised to react as he was grabbed around the neck and smashed into the mantlepiece.

D'Artagnan did not wait, he surged forward attacking one of the gunmen as he fired the weapon, the ball embedding itself in the floor of the cottage as d'Artagnan's elbow smacked into the man's face taking him out of the fight. D'Artagnan turned towards the leader of the robbers who had grabbed Aramis and pushed him into the wall, it did not take much effort between the two of them to trip the grey-haired man to the floor and pin him there.

D'Artagnan looked up in time to see Athos pushing himself up to stand after dealing with the fourth robber.

Claude was standing in the middle of the room, a stunned expression on his face. Two of the robbers were unconscious, another was writhing in pain, clutching at his face, and the leader was in the process of being firmly restrained by d'Artagnan and Aramis. D'Artagnan could almost see the thoughts going through Claude's mind. He looked at the door for a second before rushing from the room.

'Wait,' said Athos rushing after him before pausing at the door and looking back.

'Go,' said d'Artagnan, 'we've got this.'

Athos charged after Claude who was running away from the cottage in the direction that Porthos and Sarah had gone when they went to collect the water. The untrained man was likely to get himself killed rushing to save his wife.

'I can watch them,' said Aramis. 'Once that one's tied up, go after them. Athos might need the help.'

D'Artagnan nodded as he pulled the grey-haired man's belt from his waist to use as a restraint. He hoped he could get to Athos and Claude in time to be able to help.

MMMM

Porthos was watching George carefully, the young man had moved to stand nearer to Sarah, his gun held loosely in his hand. George was looking around nervously. Porthos had tried to engage the man in conversation, tried to reason with him but had been told to be quiet. Porthos had lapsed into silence not wanting to make the jittery man do anything untoward.

Sarah was sniffing, her tears had stopped but she was still shaking and watching George warily. She had looked at the rock which was on the wall between her and the gunman several times. The rope was lying on the ground a tantalising few feet from Porthos. He had imagined himself grabbing the rope several times, pulling the rock to the safe side of the wall and helping Sarah to sit on the ground away from the gaping maw of the well.

The unmistakable sound of a gunshot from the direction of the cottage made George take a couple of steps forward levelling the gun he held in the same direction. His shaky hand meant any shot would not reach its mark. A shout, Porthos could not tell who from, had George spin back around, he glanced at Porthos for the briefest of seconds before moving to the rock and pushing it over the edge of the wall. At the same instant, Sarah shifted slightly trying to see what was happening, the movement causing one of the loose bricks to crumble. Sarah screamed as she slipped forward.

Porthos was not quick enough to grab her but with lightning speed, he changed his direction and grabbed the rapidly disappearing rope instead. His grip was tested as both the weight of the rock and Sarah jerked him towards the low wall. He felt the wall move slightly as he was tugged firmly against it. Porthos knew that if the wall gave way there would be nothing he could use to anchor himself and prevent them both falling into the well. With his wrists bound he did not have the ability to change his grasp. Porthos could not move, if he moved, they both could plunge to their deaths. Porthos could feel the grip on his left hand lessening as the wound on his arm radiated pain. His situation was not helped by the panicked woman dangling in the well struggling to find something to grip onto.

MMMM

Athos could see Claude running ahead of him, he quickened his pace, they had no idea what they were running towards. There could be more men than they could deal with, but Athos had a duty to the couple that had helped them, and he had a duty to his captured brother. They had no idea what had happened to Porthos, but they did know that he was carrying an injury which would impede him.

'What have you done with Sarah!' shouted Claude who had disappeared from sight.

Athos caught up with him a couple of seconds later. The farmer was grappling with a young man who looked terrified. Athos grabbed the man from Claude and flung him to the ground stepping towards him threateningly as the man tried to scramble up. The man pointed, with a shaking hand in the direction he had come. Claude shot off without another word. Deciding the young man was not a threat, Athos followed Claude.

'Where is she?'

Athos did not know who Claude was shouting at until he pushed passed a couple of leafy branches.

'Help me,' Porthos shouted back.

Athos took in the scene in front of him. The area was covered in brambles and undergrowth which had been cleared in one place to form a path to the low walled well. Porthos was lying awkwardly against the wall which was falling apart as he watched. His brother had a rope wrapped around his wrist and he was clutching another rope tightly. The rope he was holding stretched over the crumbling wall, it did not take Athos much effort to guess what was on the other end of the rope.

Both men rushed forward as Sarah screamed.

'Sarah!'

Claude leaned over the low wall causing the top bricks to shift, one fell off, tumbling into the shaft causing Sarah to scream again.

Athos grabbed Claude and pulled him back before they lost the worried man as well.

'I can't hold the rope,' Porthos said through gritted teeth.

Athos quickly grabbed the rope; Claude finally understood and did the same. It took Porthos a few seconds to prise his own hands away, he fell back panting, his eyes screwed shut in pain.

'Slowly,' said Athos as he and Claude began to pull Sarah up.

As more bricks fell from the wall there was a danger they would hit Sarah who was still struggling at the end of the rope. They needed help, Athos glanced at Porthos who was lying a couple of yards away, his friend was barely conscious.

More bricks fell from the wall.

MMMM


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

D'Artagnan skidded to a halt a few yards from the well. He paused for a couple of seconds before moving forward again. He glanced at Porthos who was panting hard, obviously in pain, but alive and safe. Athos and Claude were hauling up a rope that was in the well. D'Artagnan stepped up to the wall and looked over. Sarah was a couple of feet below him, her scared eyes staring up at him, she was covered in dirt and had grazes on her arms and face. He turned to Claude and took the rope from him. Claude knelt and leaned carefully forward to grab Sarah. The scared woman managed to scramble over the low wall before collapsing in her husband's arms, the couple sat together on the ground Claude held his wife tightly rocking back and forth slightly as Sarah sobbed.

After pulling the rock out of the well and setting it safely on the ground the two Musketeers started to untie the ropes from Sarah and Porthos. Porthos had managed to open his eyes but did not look particularly focused. D'Artagnan was careful not to aggravate the injury to Porthos' arm but knew he had failed when his friend could not help a couple of pained gasps.

'Thank you, Monsieur,' said Sarah between sniffs when she was finally able to push away from Claude slightly and look at Porthos.

Porthos managed a nod and a pained smile.

It took Sarah a few minutes to calm herself after her near-death experience. D'Artagnan used the time to help Porthos to take his doublet off. The wound to his arm was bleeding again. They looked at each other, Porthos nodded.

'I'll try not to hit you when you stitch it,' he said, 'I was hoping I could get away with it, but not now.'

D'Artagnan wrapped Porthos' bandana over the top of the soaked bandage as a temporary measure until they could deal with it properly.

They returned to the cottage to find a worried looking Aramis watching the four robbers who had been sat along the wall outside, their arms firmly tied behind their backs. The conscious robbers had been gagged.

D'Artagnan walked up to Aramis, 'Porthos had to stop Sarah falling down the well, the injury to his arm, it's going to need stitches…'

Aramis glanced at Porthos, 'would you prefer me to take the risk of being thumped by him?'

Porthos sighed, 'if I weren't in quite a lot of pain, I would thump you both,' he said indignantly.

MMMM

_A little later…_

Athos let Porthos go, the Musketeer had managed to remain conscious whilst the stitches were put in and had not struck either Aramis or d'Artagnan as they dealt with the injury between them. As Aramis carefully wound a fresh bandage around Porthos' arm Athos looked at Claude and Sarah who were sat at the table. Claude was clutching Sarah's hand tightly; the couple had been talking quietly whilst the Musketeers dealt with the prisoners and Porthos' injury. Claude had spent some time gently cleaning the grazes his wife had received during her ordeal.

'Are you going to tell us what it was that they were so keen to find?' asked Athos.

The couple looked up at him for a few seconds.

'Father Bernard,' said Claude, 'he wasn't my actual father, he was a priest that I knew in my hometown.'

'Why the deception?' asked Aramis who was busy tidying his medical bag away.

Sarah said, 'he was taking a relic, we don't know what it is, to an Abbey for safekeeping – '

'– he knew he was being followed so changed his route,' continued Claude, 'he asked us for help. Father Bernard was kind to me when I was a child, I wanted to help him. We dressed him as a local and loaded up the hand cart. The plan was for him to walk to the next village in disguise. Sarah was going to take the relic with her and meet him there.'

'But the thieves worked it out, they recognised him on the road and attacked him,' concluded Athos.

The couple nodded.

'You could have told us all this at the start, if we had known what was really going on, we would have spent more time securing the area.'

Claude looked down, 'we didn't know who we could trust. I'm sorry you were hurt because of this,' he looked at Aramis and Porthos.

Aramis shook his head, 'it's what we do – not the getting hurt bit – but protecting people.'

'We will escort the prisoners to the next town, they will not be bothering you again,' said Athos.

'Thank you, messieurs,' said Claude.

Sarah rose from the table and crossed to a cupboard, she opened it and pulled out a small plain box. She placed the box gently on the table.

'We don't know where Father Bernard was taking it, but he said it should not fall into the wrong hands. He was keen that no one knew it was being moved.'

Aramis stepped up to the table and carefully opened the box. Athos watched his friends face as he peered at the contents for a few seconds before closing the lid slowly.

'There's nothing to identify who that belonged to,' he said, 'but if Father Bernard wanted its movements kept secret, I suspect it belonged to either a contentious or very revered Saint.'

'So, what do we do with it then?' asked Porthos.

Athos looked at Aramis and raised his eyebrows, of all of them Aramis would be able to make the most considered decision.

Aramis took a breath and thought for a few seconds.

'I think it should be buried with Father Bernard. The relic can be lost to time. Without Father Bernard to verify what the relic is it will be impossible to prove it to be important anyway.'

Claude and Sarah nodded.

'I know a pretty spot a few minutes' walk from here,' said Sarah. 'Would you help us with the burial?'

Aramis smiled, 'of course. You did help us, it's the least we can do.'

'Even though we are to blame for your injuries?' said Claude.

Athos shook his head, 'we only became involved because we happened to be there when the thieves were attacking Father Bernard,' he said. 'You could have stayed away, let us deal with our injuries alone, but you put yourselves in more danger to offer us help.'

'I for one am grateful for your help,' said Aramis, 'whatever you gave me helped me a lot.'

Sarah managed a smile, 'an old remedy my mother used,' she said.

'Then let us repay the favour and help you with Father Bernard's burial,' said Athos.

He glanced around the small room; the other Musketeers nodded. Athos was pleased they had been able to help the couple if they had not come across the robbery the likelihood was that the thieves would have found their way to the couple and killed them in their hunt for the relic. Athos wondered who had employed the thieves to steal the relic, he doubted the surviving men would know anything, any interrogation of them would be redundant. The people behind the foiled plot would remain unknown, but with the thieves captured Claude and Sarah would be safe from any further harm.

Whoever the relic represented would probably not have wanted their mortal remains to be fought over. It was better for all concerned if they simply disappeared, lost to a world that was not prepared to treat them with the respect they deserved.

The End.

**Authors note: Thanks for the comments/likes/favourites. I hope you enjoyed it. **

**I am working on a longer story, it is nearly finished, hopefully I will be back soon. **


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